Two powerful storms, Cyclone Senyar and Ditwah, have unleashed widespread devastation across the Indian Ocean region, killing more than 1,000 people and displacing tens of thousands. Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka have been the worst affected, while fatalities were also reported along India’s southern coast.
A deep depression over the Strait of Malacca intensified into Cyclone Senyar last week before dissipating over the South China Sea, according to the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), as cited by Bloomberg. Soon after Senyar weakened, Cyclone Ditwah developed over the southwest Bay of Bengal, moving towards Sri Lanka and India.
Minimal Impact On India From Senyar
Senyar posed no major threat to India as it formed over the Strait of Malacca and moved away from the coast towards Indonesia and Malaysia.
Cyclone Ditwah, which formed on 27 November, was expected to reach the Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast by 30 November but stopped short of making landfall. However, it brought heavy rainfall to the region.
Indonesia: ‘Worst In Our Lifetime’ Floods Kill Hundreds
On Indonesia’s Sumatra island, torrential rains intensified by the “rare” Cyclone Senyar resulted in at least 500 deaths. AFP reported the toll from floods and landslides had climbed to 502, with another 508 people missing, citing national disaster agency data released on Monday.
Rescue efforts were hampered by washed-out roads and downed communication networks, Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto said, as reported by the Jakarta Post. Helicopters and navy ships were deployed to supply isolated villages, where residents described flooding as the “worst in our lifetime,” Bloomberg reported. Homes were submerged up to their rooftops.
The Indonesian weather bureau said authorities had carried out aerial cloud seeding to reduce rainfall across the hardest-hit areas.
A Rare Cyclone In The Strait Of Malacca
Cyclone Senyar was the first tropical cyclone to form in the Strait of Malacca since Typhoon Vamei in 2001, according to the HKO. Tropical cyclones rarely form near the equator due to weaker Coriolis force at low latitudes. Warm water temperatures contributed to Senyar’s formation, the Observatory said.
Petron Malaysia Refining & Marketing Bhd halted operations at a crude oil refinery after storm-related damage, the company said in a filing.
Thailand Counts Heavy Losses From Senyar’s Rains
Cyclone Senyar also severely affected southern Thailand, where flooding caused at least 176 deaths and impacted more than 20 lakh households, officials said, as cited in reports. Economic losses are estimated at 23.6 billion baht (USD 734 million or roughly ₹6,560 crore), with hotels, restaurants, rubber and palm oil production among the worst hit, according to Krungsri Research.
Sri Lanka Hit Hard As Ditwah Death Toll Surges
In Sri Lanka, fatalities from flooding triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose sharply on Sunday, nearly doubling to 334 deaths, with around 370 people reported missing.
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on Friday, prompting a red alert for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh from the India Meteorological Department. No major rain warnings were issued for Monday.
Tamil Nadu recorded three deaths in rain-related incidents over the past 24 hours, state revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran said.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake called the situation the nation’s “largest and most challenging natural disaster” in a national address on Sunday night.
Third System In Region: Typhoon Koto
A third storm, Typhoon Koto, is expected to remain offshore east of Vietnam while gradually weakening. It is still likely to bring more rainfall to central and north-central Vietnam, areas already battered by storms and historic flooding that caused at least USD 3 billion in damage in recent weeks.
Forecasters expect rainfall to return to typical seasonal levels across most affected areas by midweek. A drier pattern is predicted for Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra by mid-December, according to the latest outlook.
